The Bucks County Tennis Association, Inc. has been honored twice for its efforts of growing the game of tennis.
The first recognition came from the Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) Magazine, which selected BCTA from more than 2,500 community tennis associations nationwide as its “2011 Community Tennis Association of the Year.”
Recognition for this award was acknowledged on February 24 at the World TeamTennis Philadelphia Freedoms promotional event at Merion Cricket Club, during which tennis legend and public-park prodigy, Billie Jean King posed for photos with BCTA volunteers and coaches and then privately talked about the group’s success.
“I’d like to learn more about what you’re doing,” King said. “It sounds like you have a good model for delivering tennis to communities.”
David Slade, national manager of CTAs and Tennis in the Parks program for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body of tennis, enthused, “The residents of Bucks County are fortunate to have such an outstanding CTA.”
Shortly after enjoying the accolades from RSI Magazine, the BCTA accepted another award from the USTA Middle States section of the United States Tennis Association at a February 26 awards ceremony in King of Prussia. The section, which boasts more than 100 community tennis associations in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia regions, also named BCTA “2012 CTA of the Year.
“The Bucks County Tennis Association (BCTA) has grown exponentially over the last 10 years and is well deserving of the USTA Middle States Community Tennis Association of the Year Award,” said Ben Zislis, Director of Community Development for USTA Middle States. “We are so proud to honor BCTA for all that they are doing to increase participation in the parks through 10 and Under Tennis, Jr. Team Tennis, and Flex Leagues. Their efforts this past year partnering with nearly a dozen public parks to add blended lines to over 50 courts to promote the 10-and-Under Tennis initiative, making it one of the largest efforts in the country, was nothing short of amazing.”
Incorporated in 2001 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the volunteer-based tennis association has found its niche in programming public parks, where county residents can try tennis, or improve their skill, in an informal, fun atmosphere for a very affordable price.
“We like to see tennis in the parks as other sports are,” Barbara Long, BCTA President, said. “People don’t go to soccer or baseball lessons, so why use the term ‘tennis lessons’? With the BCTA’s signature Learn, Practice & Play programs, participants start playing the game within the first hour. And while tennis technique is taught, it’s done so through fun games and playing time. We also modify the tennis equipment and courts for young participants—much like other sports do.”
BCTA’s five-week Learn, Practice & Play programs for youths and adults implement the USTA’s games approach to teaching tennis to groups of people as well as the new QuickStart format, which utilizes age-appropriate equipment and courts sizes to ensure quick and long-lasting success in playing tennis.
“Our coaches are a huge part of our success—and awards,” said BCTA Treasurer Laura Canfield. “The coaches are participants’ first impression of the organization and the game. And fortunately for the BCTA, this first impression is very, very positive.”
Current BCTA coaches include Lori Benson, Levittown; Jim Dalo, Bensalem; Dave Dileo, Yardley; Felissa Dunn, Langhorne; Bob Foster, Doylestown; Jason Friemann , Perkasie; Rich Hodelka, Quakertown; Carolyn Noto, Yardley; Stephen Parker, Chalfont; Kay Rossi, Yardley; Carol White, Jamison; and Cristina Yanik, Warrington.
The BCTA partners with the following parks and recreation agencies: Bensalem Township, Doylestown Borough, Palisades Community School in Durham Township, Hilltown Township, Lower Bucks Count (Core Creek Park and Frosty Hollow Tennis Center), Middletown Township, The Community School of New Hope-Solebury, Newtown Township, Plumstead Township, Quakertown Borough, Warminster Township, and Warrington Township. The tennis association also collaborates with Doylestown’s Camp Curiosity, a full-time daycare facility that opens its tennis courts to the BCTA for a nominal fee.
Canfield enthused, “Our partners are terrific! They are so easy to work with. And together we have not only introduced the game of tennis to people who very likely would not have tried the sport, but also we have helped save or encouraged building tennis courts in public parks.”
More than 1,300 youth and adult participants, from ages 4 to 94-plus, took advantage of BCTA’s offerings, and another 1,300 youths enjoyed pro-bono BCTA-sponsored tennis in their physical education classes and through team tennis play day challenges.
In addition to providing a healthy lifestyle through tennis, this past year the BCTA, in coordination with the USTA and USTA Middle States, spearheaded an blended lines initiative that resulted in 55 blended-line courts across 11 sites in the county—at no cost to the municipalities
“By working together,” said Canfield, “the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.” The addition of the blended lines, which modify regulation 78-foot courts to also accommodate 60- and 36-foot courts, make playing tennis more manageable for young participants or players with limited mobility. “Bucks County has the only blended-line, kid-compatible courts on public park tennis courts in the entire state of Pennsylvania,” Canfield noted.